Things have gone from bad to worse for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After falling 3-1 in their opening round 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Florida Panthers, after a devastating loss in Game Four, the team announced Tuesday afternoon that forward Brandon Hagel will miss Game 5. Hagel exited Game 4 due to concussion concerns after taking a big hit from Aaron Ekblad, in which Ekblad’s forearm made contact with Hagel’s head. This incident will have significant implications for both sides for the rest of the series.
The Impact the Brandon Hagel Injury has on the “Battle of Florida”
This is not the first game that Hagel will miss this series. He was suspended for Game 3 after receiving an interference penalty against Aleksander Barkov in Game 2. However, missing Game 5 is a much bigger deal, as it’s a do-or-die game for Tampa. With the season on the line, they want to have their best roster out there. Although Hagel has not recorded a point in this series, he had a tremendous year, recording 35 goals and 55 assists for 90 points. All of which were career highs for Hagel. While he has not been as dominant in this series, the Lightning feel a lot better about their chances if their 90-point forward were on the second line, ready to go. The Lightning will now need to rely on Yanni Gourde to fill the hole left by Hagel on the second line.
However, this situation does not just affect the Lightning, but also the Panthers. Although Ekblad was not assessed a penalty for the hit on Brandon Hagel that caused the injury, he will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety about a potential suspension. This would be a major loss for the Panthers. The Panthers just got Ekblad back from his 20-game suspension for PEDs. With Hagel out and the concerns of concussion in hockey, it feels like another suspension is imminent. This will cause the Panthers to be without their top-pairing defenceman yet again. A big loss to a team that looked like it was hitting its stride. However, we won’t know the actual impact until both teams take the ice tomorrow night.
